The Ainsworth-Bowlby Study On Attachment Theory

Beyond the scenic landscape, a class of twenty-five fourth graders had been recently dismissed for recess. Their unrestrained delight was evident around the massive playground set, but flourished especially on the kickball field. Blissful laughter and melodic voices rang through my ears as I intently supervised the students, much like a mother to her kin. However, the atmosphere immediately changed for the worst when a prolonged wail had reverberated from the kickball area. Having been attuned to the broken sound plenty times before, I instinctively rushed towards a distraught youth. Up close, his body lay contorted in the fetal position; his face was twisted just the same. I felt dirt kissing my knees as I crouched beside the wounded child. With a tear-stained expression gazing up at me, it was fairly easy to ignore the fingernails that were embedded into my forearm. “I can’t feel my leg,” wheezed the curly-haired boy. Firmly gripping his hand, I made clear of my presence.
Gallagher’s notion on the schooling experience aligns with the Ainsworth-Bowlby study on attachment theory. Formally established in the year 1991, the two psychologists - Mary Ainsworth and John Bowlby - worked separately on their studies, yet in conjunction for developing the overall behavioral theory. Ainsworth “formulated the concept of material sensitivity to infant signals and its role in the development of the infant-mother attachment patterns” (Bretherton 759); in addition, Bowlby “revolutionized [our] thinking about a child’s tie to the mother and its disruption through separation, deprivation, and bereavement” (Bretherton 759). In synopsis, the attachment theory asserts that a secure and stable physical-emotional bond to a primary caregiver, developed during the formative years of life, is essential for a youth’s personal